Archive for November 2009

Abstract: agents. Salts of strontium are responsible for a red green one and copper salts, only combined with a chlorine donor, are able to yield a blue To investigate the possibility of reducing the amount of metal in pyrotechnic formulations producing colored 1-(2-chloroethyl)-5-nitriminotetrazolato- nitrimino tetrazolate and trans-[diammine-bis{1-(2-chloroethyl)-5-nitrimino tetrazolate- were synthesized and characterized using IR and Raman spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Their sensitivities towards shock, friction, and electric discharge and the solubility in H calorimetric measurements. Crystal structures of all compounds have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction and a detailed description is given. Last but not least, all salts were tested with regard to their color erformance.

This small paperback book is packed with information on the chemistry and mechanics of initiation and has extensive chapters on:-

General outline

Explosives and Production Processes

Initaitors and Related Devices

Metrology and Safety

There is extensive detail of the physical characteristics of initiating substances, together with formulations and a good section on sensitivity of various initiating explosives. However the book is somewhat frustrating in so much that the scale and clarity of diagrams and images varies widely, and chemical formulae are inconsistently portrayed. It is also expensive for a 221page paperback (50 Euros) and I felt that I could have certainly lived with a smaller and more consistent typeface throughout if it left more room for bigger diagrams or had reduced the size and price of the book as a result.

Nevertheless I would recommend this book for the bookshelves of practitioners in almost any area of pyrotechnics and explosives – initiation is often poorly understood, and this book does much to inform the reader in this most important subject.